Angel
by riverflowertheimmortalwolf
Summary: Cloudleap's life changed when he took the killing blow meant for his mate. No, his afterlife changed. Now, he gazes down from StarClan, wondering how he can spare his mate's misery. He knew. He just had to kill his murderer.
1. Chapter 1

A yowl split the air. "Cloudleap! Help me!"

A white tom spun around, his light blue eyes frantically searching for his mate. "Poolheart! Where are you?" Screeching, clawing, cats surrounded Cloudleap. They pounced onto each other, tumbling on the blood-soaked ground and ripping fur.

There! Cloudleap spotted a bulky, black RiverClan tom cornering Poolheart against a pile of gray boulders. The white tom leaped through the fray as Poolheart swiped at the warrior. Suddenly, a silver tabby she-cat intercepted him, bowling him over. Cloudleap recognized this she-cat. Streamtail! Cloudleap flipped Streamtail, and holding her down, raked her exposed white belly fur with his thorn-sharp claws. She wriggled like a fish out of the white warrior's grip, and fled, trailing fresh droplets of blood behind her.

Finally, Cloudleap got to the the black tom. The RiverClan cat had reared up on his hind legs, both front paws raised in a killing stance. Poolheard cowered, pressed against the rock wall.

"I won't let you die, Poolheart!" Cloudleap screeched, leaping over Poolheart to protect her. Cloudleap looked up, ready to slash the warrior. Instead, the black tom's claws were already in motion. Cloudleap's blue eyes widened in surprise as the tom slashed his throat twice. _Too late_ , Cloudleap realized as he saw crimson blood spray. _His_ blood. Cloudleap rolled off Poolheart, suddenly feeling very cold.

"What have you done?" Poolheart yowled angrily to the RiverClan warrior. The tom stepped back, staring at his bloodstained claws as if he didn't believe what just happened. Cloudleap swayed, then fell down, blood pumping from his neck.

"Cloudleap!" Poolheart sobbed, burying her face into her mate's fur, which was now red. "Please! Come back! Don't go! Don't leave me…" Cloudleap closed his eyes, Poolheart's voice suddenly growing dimmer and dimmer…

* * *

"Hello?" A voice said. "Hello? Cloudleap?" Cloudleap slowly opened his eyes. He was startled to see bright light. Starry trees filled the dreamy-looking landscape.

A gray she-cat with white patches stared down at him. "Cloudleap? You're awake!"

"Birdstar!" Cloudleap jumped up to his paws, looking for Poolheart. "But you're dead! Why are you here, and what is this place? And where is Poolheart?"

Birdstar gazed at him sadly. "I am sorry, Cloudleap."

Cloudleap stared at Birdstar quizzically. "Birdstar?"

Birdstar bowed her head. "You are in StarClan now."

A jolt of shock hit Cloudleap like lightning as his heart plummeted to the ground.."Am...am I dead?" Cloudleap whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello?" A voice said. "Hello? Cloudleap?" Cloudleap slowly opened his eyes. He was startled to see bright light. Starry trees filled the dreamy-looking landscape.

A gray she-cat with white patches stared down at him. "Cloudleap? You're awake!"

"Birdstar!" Cloudleap jumped up to his paws, looking for Poolheart. "But you're dead! Why are you here, and what is this place? And where is Poolheart?"

Birdstar gazed at him sadly. "I am sorry, Cloudleap."

Cloudleap stared at Birdstar quizzically. "Birdstar?"

Birdstar bowed her head. "You are in StarClan now."

A jolt of shock hit Cloudleap like lightning as his heart plummeted to the ground.."Am...am I dead?" Cloudleap whispered.

"You are dead," Birdstar said solemnly. Cloudleap stared at his paws. _I died? What happened to that battle? And Poolheart?_

As if reading his mind, Birdstar answered. "Poolheart is fine. But she is grieving for you."

"Can I please come down and meet her?" Cloudleap begged.

Birdstar looked unsure. "StarClan doesn't usually let their cats visit the living…"

Cloudleap's shoulders slumped. "Will I be not able to comfort her, and spare her the pain?" A second StarClan cat shimmered to life next to Birdstar.

The StarClan cat, a brown tabby tom with a speckled muzzle, spoke. "Birdstar, maybe we can give Cloudleap another chance. I can send him down to say goodbye to her."

"Are you sure?" Birdstar tipped her head to one side thoughtfully. "Beetleleg, is this right?"

"He died in battle saving her," Beetleleg replied steadily. "He never had a chance for any last words. Cloudleap should be able to come down for a moment."

"It's still daytime," Birdstar meowed. "He should wait until night, to enter her dream."

"Please, I would like to come down now!" Cloudleap's tail swished agitatedly. "I don't want Poolheart mourning for me!"

Birdstar narrowed her eyes, thinking for a moment. Then she nodded slowly. "All right. You may go. I will grant you the wish to walk on the Clan's grounds. However, your other Clanmates will not be able to see you."

Cloudleap's eyes lit up.

Beetleleg tapped a paw on the starlit ground. "You may go now, Cloudleap. Do not stay for too long."

Suddenly, StarClan vanished. Cloudleap looked around, confused. He suddenly realized he was on familiar territory! It was ThunderClan. His former home. Cloudleap padded through the forest, inhaling the rich scents. He finally reached camp. He entered, seeing his Clanmates sitting silently. Then he saw Poolheart. She was next to his still body, her face resting on his bloodied neck. She looked so pitiful and sad, that Cloudleap wanted to mourn with her, even though it was _his_ body.

Cloudleap backed away. _No,_ he thought. _I can't do this. I need to do something else. She won't feel better until I am avenged._ He turned around and started pelting through the forest, branches raking his fur. Cloudleap didn't care. He just needed to get to that black RiverClan warrior…

The white tom ran as fast as a WindClan cat. Finally, he found the border of RiverClan. Cloudleap slowed, alert for patrols. Then he remembered that he couldn't be seen. He sped up again, locating the RiverClan camp and boldly striding into it. No cat noticed. Cloudleap saw that their dens were made out of reeds. _Never knew that_ , he thought. His blue eyes scanned for a big black tom. There was none.

 _Fine. I'll just have to search for myself._ Cloudleap bounded through the entrance, trying to remember the tom's scent. _He must have gone hunting. Or patrolling._ Suddenly, he stopped. He saw a black tom by the river, staring intently at the water. _He must be fishing,_ Cloudleap guessed. _I could never stand getting my paws wet._

Cloudleap wondered if the cat would see him if he attacked him. Cloudleap charged at the black tom, leaping onto his back. The RiverClan cat sputtered as his face was pushed into the river. _Hah, fish-face!_

"I have come to be avenged!" Cloudleap roared.

The RiverClan tom turned around, eyes stretching in horror. "Y-you? You're back?"

"So you could see me, if you believed in me," Cloudleap sneered. "I wonder if I could kill you. He raked his claws rapidly across his enemy's back. The black cat staggered, veering off the edge of the river.

"I didn't mean to kill you," the black cat choked. "I really didn't!"

"No! I want you to drown!" Cloudleap yowled furiously. The tom tried to flip him, but his claws passed harmlessly through Cloudleap's pelt.

"I'm already dead, don't you see?" Cloudleap screeched, jerking him viciously to expose his belly. "Poolheart will be better after I kill her mate's murderer. _I'm_ her mate! You caused her so much pain!"

The tom struggled vainly. "You can't be in StarClan! StarClan cats don't kill!" The tom cried out each time Cloudleap slashed at his belly. Blood stained Cloudleap's white pelt red, and it sprayed over the ground like drops of rain.

"StarClan help me!" he gasped, eyes glazed with unbearable pain.

"StarClan won't help you," Cloudleap crowed. "I'm a StarClan cat! You deserve to die and go to the Dark Forest!" The RiverClan cat writhed around, trying to escape his coming death, but to no avail.

Finally, Cloudleap stopped his deadly assault. He panted, getting off the now-dead cat. He stared at the tom's shredded belly. Streams of blood poured out from the tom, eventually feeding into the flowing river next to him.

A silver-gray she-cat brushed her way around reeds. "Pikefang! What's with the commotion…" She gasped when she saw that the black tom, Pikefang, was dead. "No! My poor mate!"

Cloudleap narrowed his eyes. She couldn't see her. She was Pikefang's mate. Maybe he could kill her, too. After all, his murderer's kits would be still alive. But first, he had to tell Poolheart that he had killed Pikefang.

Cloudleap turned around and ran until he reached ThunderClan camp. Evening had set in, and Poolheart was the only cat sitting vigil for his body.

"Poolheart," Cloudleap whispered. Poolheart turned around, and gasped.

"You're here," Poolheart choked. "And you're-you're covered in blood."

"I killed my murderer," Cloudleap rasped, a victorious gleam in his eyes. "Are you satisfied now?"

Poolheart suddenly backed away. "Cloudleap? How could you? I know that cat didn't mean to kill you. I...I _forgived_ him."

"How could you forgive that murderer?" Cloudleap growled.

"What have you done?" Birdstar appeared next to Cloudleap, snarling. "I told you, Beetleleg!"

Suddenly Cloudleap was in StarClan. Cat surrounded him, faces filled with anger or sadness.

"You have killed a cat, Cloudleap," A big tabby tom announced. "StarClan will banish you from its territories. May you rot forever in the Dark Forest!" Meows of agreement rose from StarClan's ranks.

"I will hate StarClan," Cloudleap snarled, "and RiverClan! Take back your words, because I'll get my revenge on you all!" Spitting venomously, he raced for the border between StarClan and the Dark Forest.

A brown tabby tom with jet-black stripes awaited him in the Dark Forest's gloom. "Welcome, Cloudleap. My name is Crowstrike."

"I am honored to be a Dark Forest warrior," Cloudleap lifted his head proudly, his gaze cold and challenging.

Crowstrike dipped his head. "I can see you have killed a cat." He eyed Cloudleap's paws, which were still spattered with blood. "There are cats here just like you."

As they padded into the Dark Forest, Cloudleap thought, _I was killed, and my mate's faith is lost in me. StarClan rejects me. I have no place to go but the Dark Forest. No, I_ want _to be one. I, am a Dark Forest cat._

And with that, angel had turned into demon.


End file.
